Lawsuit Challenges U.S. Departments of Education and Justice Over Illegal Denials of Federal Loan Consolidations
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 30, 2019: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) filed a lawsuit in federal district court this week against the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), on behalf of a former student of a now-defunct for-profit college. The lawsuit challenges a longstanding policy that prevents borrowers […]
Attorney Jim Burgess Named President of Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ Board of Directors
The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the leading frontline law firm for low-income people in Los Angeles, announces the appointment of Jim Burgess of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP to serve as president of the Board of Directors. The two-year appointment took effect July 1. “Jim brings a breadth of talent and dedication […]
Students Defrauded by Marinello Schools of Beauty Obtain Belated Discharges After Filing Suit Against the Department of Education
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 10, 2018 Contact: Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: Robyn Smith (rsmith@lafla.org) (213) 640-3906 National Consumer Law Center: Jan Kruse (jkruse@nclc.org) (617) 542-8010 BOSTON – Following a federal lawsuit filed by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and the National Consumer Law Center against the U.S. Department of Education and […]
Debt Relief for Defrauded Student Loan Borrower Who Attended Career Institute
After struggling for three decades with repayment and a lawsuit filed by Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (Escobedo v. Betsy DeVos, U.S. District Court, Central District. of Cal., Case No. CV 17-07586), student loan borrower Sonia Escobedo finally received full forgiveness of the federal student loans that were fraudulently obtained by Career Institute in […]
Lawsuit Challenges Long-Term Department of Education Policy Used to Deny Debt Relief to Students Harmed by For-profit Schools
Yesterday, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles filed a lawsuit in federal court against Betsy DeVos in her official capacity as the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. The complaint alleges that for over 20 years the Department has used an informal evidence policy to improperly deny debt forgiveness to borrowers whose schools […]
Lawsuit Filed Challenging U.S. Department of Education’s Refusal to Discharge Loans of Students Defrauded by California-Based Marinello Schools of Beauty
LOS ANGELES – The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and National Consumer Law Center filed a lawsuit yesterday in federal court against the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Betsy DeVos on behalf of three student loan borrowers defrauded by the for-profit Marinello Schools of Beauty (“Marinello”). At the time of its closure, Marinello […]
Federal Student Loan Cancellation and Refunds Available to Many Students Who Attended Wilfred Academy, Washington School of Secretaries or American Business Institute
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2017 || Contact: Robyn Smith, (213) 640-3906, rsmith@lafla.org. The recent settlement of a lawsuit brought against the US Department of Education is very good news for thousands of former students who attended a chain of beauty, secretarial and business schools in the early 1990s. The schools defrauded students and lied to […]
Legal Aid Foundation Celebrated Expansion of Critical Services at Ribbon Cutting Event for Ron Olson Justice Center
LOS ANGELES, November 14, 2017 — Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles is thrilled to have its headquarters back in the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles and celebrated this milestone with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of the Ron Olson Justice Center on Monday, November 13, 2017. With this new building, LAFLA can expand its efforts […]
Tentative Settlement Reached in Beach Curfew Litigation
Today, plaintiffs Francesca de la Rosa and Jataun Valentine and attorneys from the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and Sheppard Mullin Richter and Hampton LLP, announced the tentative settlement of their lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles. Ms. Valentine and Ms. de la Rosa filed the lawsuit in 2015 against the City for […]
City Council Approves Settlement Protecting Property Rights of Homeless People
Los Angeles, CA (June 14, 2017) – This morning the Los Angeles City Council approved a settlement that puts an end to the illegal seizure by the Los Angeles Downtown Industrial District of homeless people’s unattended belongings. The settlement brings to a close a 2014 lawsuit brought by the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LA […]